Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-06-16
COUNCIL MEETING.
Charges That City Officials Have Been
Using Calaboose Prisoners to
Shine Up Their Shoes.
The Mayor Expresses His Condemnation of
Such Course and says it Shall be
Stopped-The Common Grist.

Such Course and says it Shall be
Stopped-The Common Grist.
There was called meeting of the Cit
Council yesterday afternoon TO finish thu
business so abruptly terminated the dsy
before. The largest part of the proceed
ings was devoted to the hearing of ordi
nary business-petitions ordinances, auC
the like-and the only thing of breezy
nature was the somewhat heated ar
raignment of several of the city officer:
by his honor, the Mayor. His remark!
were directed against the City Marshal
chiefly for permitting prisoners to be
used as servants a0ou. the city hall
Some of the officials, he said, mad made
Calaboose convicts black their boots and
attend to other mental duties. This
thing had to be stopped it was illegal
and improper, and the priso GERS SO
abused should every one sue the official
or officials who pressed them into
service. IL it did not cease he
would lay the matter before
the grand jury. He also referred to the
case of Alderman Hill, for taking one of
the female prisoners from the guard
house and putting her to work at his
residence, condemnins such proceeding
| vehemently.
Marshal Farmer answered calmly that
he had never in all his previous career
as city marshal nor during his present
term of Office had any prisoner to black
his boots or wait on HIM personally.
City conviCts were required to clean
out the cells and sweep offices out, but he
saw no harm in that, particularly as the
city employed no janitor. Female prison.
ers often begged him to be allowed to do
outside work rather than endure Confne-
ment IN the sT eltering atmosphere of the
cells.
COMMITTEE REPORTS.
OF the police committee, recommending
that Thomas Fergus On and Thomas Copp
be appointed special policemen. Adopted
OF the waterWorks committee, that the
city do not remit fac assessed against
r. G. Storrie, for leaving ditch open on
Boaz street. Adopted.
OF fire committee, that +, NJ. Brown
be granted permission to erect fence and
shed and cover same with corrugated
iron. Adopted.
OF waterworks committee, that the pc
tition of Theo VOgel ct al. asking for
laying OF 1850 feet water mains on Penn
sylvania avenue be granted. Adopted.
OF the same committee, recommending
payment of Dill from W, f. Lake for
$50 so. Adopted.
OF the same committee, favoring put
ting up two water fountains, one on pub
lie square, another at foot of Main street.
Troughs were substituted and report
adopted.
OF public buildings committee, that
Townshend & Bro. be awarded the con-
tract for painting the public school build
ings for 1896. Adopted.
OF police committee, to which the duty
of investigating the conduct of Alderman
Hill in working one of the female city
prisoners, has been referred.
The report signed by Daggett and
Reilly, stated that inasmuch as Hill had
fed the woman during the day, the city
had thereby been saved that much eX-
pense. Tatum objected to receiving the
report, inasmuCh as he had not been con-
suited with reference to it, though
6 member of the investigating committee.
A motion was made to send the report
back, substituted by motion to adopt.
Ward moved that Hill be exonerated, and
that the Marshal be allowed in
his discretion to reduce the
expenses of the city by
letting the female prisoners out to work.
motion to adjourn was lost. The
original question was called for, and after
a coed deal of discussion the whole mat
ter was dropped without any decisive
action.
& statement was made by Daggett that
he had psid $1,000 taxes for 1888, for
which James Blsckmsn, then city as
SCISSOR, had failed to give him credit.
PETITIONS.
OF L. ?. Lingehfelter ct al, that Peach
streeg and others in First ward be opened
up. Referred.
OF L. II. Holt & Co., to set scales on
north side of East Sixth street, near
RuSk. Referred.
OIL. NJ. Brown, for q central high
school building. Referred.
OF Il. G. Storrie, for remission OF two
fines.
BOND APPROVED.
The bond of j. B. Askew, the newly
elected secretary of the water works, in
the sum OF $1,000, was approved, r. E,
Maddox and Robert Mozart sureties.
ORDINANCES.
An ordinance providing for a city meat
inspector was read and after long dis
cussion referred to the city attorney.
An ordinance was read authorizing the
Fort Worth City Company to build and
operate horse car, motor, cable or cleo
trio line of street railway along the fol-
lowing route; Beginning at the north
boundary line of the city, near
the bridge crossing the West
Fork of the Trinity river across the
river on said bridge, or such other
bridges as may be erected TO Cherry
street; thence along the center of Cherry
street to Weatherford; thence east along
said street, on the side thereof unless
the right TO use the center can be
procured from any other company having
the right thereto to Throckmorton street; |
thence along the center of said street to |
Fourth street; thence along the side |
thereof unless the right to use the center
con he obtained N Rusk |